


On the Trail of Wickedness

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Competence - highly effective teamwork, Gen, Loyalty - Deferring To Leader or Subordinate's Judgment, Loyalty - Gestures of Loyalty, Loyalty - Risking Self For Someone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: Following a lead given to him by Madam Christmas, Mustang along with Hawkeye and Breda, head to a bucolic little town with a big secret.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 5
Collections: Gen Freeform Exchange2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reconditarmonia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reconditarmonia/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Not mine, Arakawa owns it
> 
>  **Notes:** written for reconditarmonia who was interested in the loyalty dynamics between Mustang and Hawkeye and the suggestion of a dangerous mission for them sounded like just too much fun not to tackle. I did send Breda along in a supporting role but this is really Mustang and Hawkeye’s story. I always loved how they had each other’s backs no matter what. Thanks to evil_little_dog for the beta

XXX  
  
Glenrock was one of the prettier cities within a day of Central and Roy didn’t mind being sent there by his aunt. He needed the distraction. Maes was barely two weeks in the ground and some of the intelligence passed to him by the brothers was out rightly terrifying. Roy knew things were bad but if even a tenth of what the Elrics and Hughes had been telling him in the days leading up to Maes’s murder was true, then it was far worse. 

The other advantage of Glenrock was it had a small outpost that manufactured bullets for the military and he could use that as a cover to visit the town. Havoc quietly mocked up a false report from the factory, nothing serious enough to draw a General to the area but enough that it wouldn’t seem odd that Roy had taken Hawkeye and Breda with him as part of the investigation team. It made for great cover because the real allure of the town wasn’t its beauty or the munitions factory. It was where General Littlejohn kept a rather impressive estate. He didn’t know everything Littlejohn got up to but he knew the general was one of Bradley’s key sycophants. Whether he was dangerous or not, Roy didn’t know but he knew better than to count anyone out. One of his sisters had passed on some information that Littlejohn was up to something disturbing and Aunt Chris asked him to check it out.

Roy contemplated the idea that his aunt had sent him here as a mere distraction. She knew what Maes’s friendship had meant to him. She understood all too well how the desire for revenge could well up and even more so how quickly the dark cloak of depression could settle on him. Even if it was just a wild goose chase, at least he had some time away from Central and all the watchful eyes there. Here at least, he didn’t have to pretend Riza was a mere subordinate instead of his most trusted, oldest friend, or at least didn’t have to pretend when they were off duty.

“This reminds me of home,” Riza mused, her eyes on the outskirts of town where high hills and deeply green forest dominated.

“It’s pretty,” Breda murmured.

Roy held his tongue. He grew up a city boy. Moving into his master’s crumbling homestead had been eye opening. “Breda, why don’t you take point at the munitions factory. Hawkeye, check in at the base and let them know we’re in town. I have someone to see.”

“As if we have time for your girlfriends, sir.” Hawkeye rolled her eyes but he knew that meant she’d join him at the Xingese tea house as soon as she made an appearance at the outpost, just as they had discussed on the train to Glenrock.

“Always time for a little fun, lieutenant.” He grinned and headed out to talk to his ‘sisters.’ 

He found Nicole at the library in town and she handed him a list of places where Littlejohn had been seen that seemed odd. However, the library was busy so Roy took the list to the tea house where Xue worked. While one of Madam’s girls, she was actually a distant cousin of theirs. She didn’t approach him immediately and another young girl sat him at a corner table with a pot of fragrant tea. While he waited for either Xue to find time and an excuse to join him or for Riza to arrive, Roy studied the list Nicole had handed off. 

Littlejohn spent more time in Glenrock than Roy had realized and while the munitions plant itself made sense, many of the other areas did not. One was a farm and as far as he knew, Littlejohn had no interest in being a gentleman farmer. He’d have Hawkeye follow up with Grumman on that. He’d have to ask either Xue or Nicole about the cribbed note that seemed to say lamp or more likely lamb. What would he be doing with lambs? He was also seen often at an orphanage. That made even less sense. He knew Littlejohn didn’t have children. He doubted the man was there reading stories to the orphans. A chill ran up his spine as an idea formed.

“Would you like sweet tapioca soup or dried plums to go with your tea,” a soft voice said at his shoulder, startling him out of his growing fears.

Roy canted his face up at Xue and smiled. “I’d like the plums.”

Xue inclined her head, long raven hair sweeping her shoulders as she went to fetch them for him. Unsurprisingly there was a slip of paper tucked under the bowl when she set the fruits down. 

“Can you spare a moment? I’m new in town and would like to know where best to spend my time.”

She snitched one of his dried, salty plums. “I would suggest something with a nice river view.” Xue leaned close and whispered, “The abandoned warehouses.”

He nodded. “Thanks, that sounds lovely.” 

Xue returned to the back room, leaving him alone with that cryptic clue. He knew what to make of it though. Whatever Littlejohn was up to, a warehouse in a part of town no one spent much time in would be a good place to do it. He picked up a plum, twisted it around in his fingers before popping it into his mouth. After a few minutes when no one was looking his way, he pulled out Xue’s note. Written in Xingese, it listed Littlejohn’s comings and goings with a few other men including one she found particularly worrisome, a man named Eugene.

He was still reading what bothered Xue about the man when Riza showed up at the tea house. Smiling, he took the second cup off the serving tray and poured for her. He pushed the dried plums to her. “Have some.”

“Thank you, sir. Colonel Stone is not thrilled we’re here.” She took one of the plums. “I was surprised that he was so unwelcoming, complaining we had no reason to be here.”

He shrugged. “Some men don’t like others on their patch.”

“I told him we were just here over the munitions snafu, nothing to do with the base at all.” Riza grimaced. “It didn’t placate him.”

“That is suspicious.” He pushed Nicole’s note to her. He’d tell her about Xue’s information in a bit. 

“He wanted to know how long we’d be in town. I told him as long as it takes to sort this out but probably only a few days.”

Roy nodded. Anything more would look suspicious. “We can probably do what we need to in a day or two. Tell me what you make of that.” He tapped the note before pouring himself some more tea.

Riza read Nicole’s note over, her expression darkening. “This is…odd.”

“I was thinking Nina.”

Riza’s spine stiffened at the mention of Tucker’s daughter. Very few people knew what had happened with Shou Tucker but Riza, both ever loyal and the daughter of an alchemist, was in the know. Roy would always feel guilty he had sent those boys in to investigate. He hadn’t a clue what Tucker had been doing when he sent the Elrics there. No kid – not that Edward would admit to actually being a kid -needed to see that kind of horror, but they had seen other horrors, hadn’t they? It was why he had maneuvered himself to be in a position to guide, to protect and to shield those boys, not that Ed cared. What a prickly brat! So like him at that age if Roy was honest.

“He doesn’t have a pocket watch,” she replied.

“No. He’s not in my group,” he said, knowing full well Littlejohn wasn’t an alchemist but he certainly could be in cahoots with one.

“Shall we wait for Breda before planning?”

Roy nodded. “The inn would be better for this. I see why the madam suggested I come here.”

“It does have interesting sites to see.” Riza smiled faintly. 

“Agreed. Once we finish here, I’ll round up Breda and we can meet in my room at the inn.”

“All right, sir.”

They finished their tea and Roy approached Xue at the counter. “Have you seen one of these around?” He tugged his watch out. She’d know he didn’t mean the actual timepiece.

She shook her head no but whispered ‘Eugene.’ 

“Thanks for the wonderful tea. I’ll have to come back,” he said more loudly before following Riza out of the tea house. Once they were out of sight, more hidden by the shadows he shot Hawkeye a grim look. This could have just gotten exponentially more dangerous.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

“You think they’re using kids for something nefarious?” Breda clenched his jaw, fury making his face mirror his red hair. 

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Roy exchanged glances with Riza. She knew exactly what he feared. Breda wasn’t entirely inside the alchemy circle. He didn’t need to know Roy and Riza feared the kids were being used as test subjects or worse by an alchemist doing something they shouldn’t. It was enough for him to know children could be in danger.

“No one should hurt kids,” Breda growled.

“I agree.” Roy understood the sentiment deeply. He’d grown up an orphan, lucky that he had his aunt. Otherwise he’d have been in an orphanage too. He wouldn’t be who and what he was now if he had been. Aunt Chris sheltered him, encouraged him and paved the way for him to find his mentor in Mr. Hawkeye. He doubted a half Xingese kid would have been adopted out of a Central orphanage but if he had gotten lucky, would he still be who he was? No time to worry on that now. Roy had always been quietly protective of children. It was one of the reasons he in turn had reached out a hand to the Elrics. He’d been in their shoes.

“How do you want to proceed, sir?” Hawkeye asked, leaning against the wall in his room in the inn. She kept glancing out the window as if expecting someone might be spying on them. He couldn’t really blame her for that.

“I hate to say it but there are only three of us. We’ll need to split up. Breda, scout out General Littlejohn’s estate. He shouldn’t be there but you might be able to find out if any weird goings-on have been happening,” Roy said and Breda nodded, though a scowl sliced across his face. “Hawkeye, you see if you can find out anything about this Eugene fellow.” He consulted Nicole and Xue’s notes. “I’d suggest somewhere near the Second Time Around, which appears to be an antiques shop. I’ll go to the warehouse.”

“Are you sure, sir?” Riza’s sherry eyes darkened. He knew she didn’t like him going off on his own without her to watch his back. She assumed, as did he, if someone was performing taboo alchemy, it would be at the warehouse.

He nodded curtly. “He’s been seen around there. He might even live above the shop.”

“All right, sir.”

Knowing she wasn’t happy didn’t change facts. They needed to cover as much ground as they could in one night if they planned to uncover anything before they had to go back to Central. They all decided on a time they needed to be back at the inn. If someone didn't make it back, the others would go in search of them. If Roy was the one who didn't make it back, he made them promise they wouldn't come looking for him but rather contact Armstrong. If he was gone they would need an alchemist they could trust and Strongarm would always come if Roy needed him. They dispersed as soon as they had a decent meal in them and night would offer them cover. Well, Breda and Riza had gone a bit earlier than that so she could poke into the shop before it closed and Breda might stand a chance of capturing the attention of a neighbor or household member and chat them up. Roy had to wait for dark to go snooping around the warehouse.

It was even more desolate than he expected, which heightened his nerves, his awareness expanding. He didn’t want to be caught out here, and he pulled his static glove on as a precaution. Of course a spark in that rickety looking, apparently long abandoned wooden structure right next to the river would make it go up like a tinderbox so Roy hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. If there were captive children in there, he didn’t want to roast them alive. He’d had enough of that sort of horror from Ishval weighing on his brain at night. Best case scenario, if there were children here, they were being used as child labor. Every fiber of his being screamed it was something far darker at work. 

No one seemed to be around the building. In the distance on the other side of the river he could see more warehouses as if that’s where all the businesses had moved to in Glenrock for some reason. He attributed it to either the underwater topography of the river or the whims of man. Either way if Littlejohn and this Eugene character were doing something sinister here like his aunt and sisters thought he was, this would make an excellent place to do it. They could always weigh down and toss their mistakes into the swiftly rushing river. One light flickered in a window but like so many warehouses it was up too high to conveniently peer in. At this moment he wished he had the Elrics ability to clap and build an earthen ramp or hand holds into the wall.

Instead Roy had to find another way in all the while worrying about what Riza might be facing if Eugene turned out to be at the shops and up to no good. Normally he didn’t have to worry much. Riza’s dead eye aim and her abilities in a fight were never in much doubt but if an alchemist got the jump on her…. No, he wouldn’t worry on that either. She was raised by an alchemist. She knew what they were capable of and more than intelligent enough not to race into trouble. That was his usual idiot method of operation if Maes or Edward were to be believed. Still he wished he could have sent her to Littlejohn’s estate but if there were hints of forbidden alchemy around Eugene, Riza would recognize them and Breda wouldn’t. He needed to knock off his needless worrying and trust in Riza because he did, always, with his very life. In her he had the most loyal and capable of friends.

Roy circled the warehouse, dodging large piles of trash and loose boards, which he spotted using a tiny controlled flame in the palm of his hand. He felt fairly sure the rubbish was strategically placed in case someone was prowling around and kicked into it, giving warning. Roy’s prowling was as noiseless as a cat. He sidled up to a side door and let the flame die. The door was opened a crack as if someone had been outside and from the smells of it, it wasn’t water he was standing in not far from the door; His poor boots. Using the door as a shield, he listened in to determine if anyone was in house. Muffled crying and the low murmur of voices were the answer. 

Steeling himself, Roy took a deep breath in trying to slim himself as much as possible to slither through the door without having to open it much further. All he’d need would be for it to squeak - You could spit on the hinges...but you need a lot of spit for that - and alert the entire warehouse. Once inside he let his eyes adjust to the dim light, his fingers resting against each other just in case he had to snap in a hurry and risk the conflagration. Along the far wall, in straw-floored cages, several children were kept like the world’s saddest zoo. The goats and calves in the pen were better kept. One third of the warehouse was stuffed with books, alembic flasks, distillery equipment and other trappings Roy knew too well. He’d have felt at home in this alchemy lab if he could dismiss the imprisoned children. _No one_ experimented on kids, certainly not if he had anything to say about it. Rage filled him and Roy battled back the urge to just snap and take them all out with one fell swoop. He might have if he was more certain he could control the fire and keep it from the children but he couldn’t risk them.

He crept around a stack of crates containing who knew what. The alchemist, Eugene perhaps, hadn’t noticed him yet. He was busy arguing with someone in an Amestris uniform. He wondered if that was Riza’s Colonel Stone. He squinted to see if he could pick up on the insignia, and then decided he’d worry about that later. He needed to get to the kids and get them the hell out of the warehouse. He’d deliver justice once they were safe. Roy eeled over to the pens, seeing that the doors weren’t padlocked. They didn’t need to be. The simple bolts were up high over where a child could reach and another at the bottom as there wasn’t room to slip little fingers under the door to move them.

Roy didn’t know if he could get them all open before he was noticed but if he got one open, maybe the kids would help free the others. He managed to ease the bolts on the nearest pen holding two boys and he beckoned them out, mouthing ‘help me’ to them. They stared at him, wide eyed, not moving. Roy didn’t wait. He threw the top bolt on the next cage and bent to open the bottom one.

“Behind you,” one of the kids hissed.

Roy whipped around, his hand coming up ready to attack, but he wasn’t fast enough. Pain exploded in the side of his head. For a split second, Roy saw stars, then everything went black.  



	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three 

“I don’t see signs of him,” Breda said, slowly picking his way through the rubbish outside of the warehouse. 

Riza wished he were lighter of foot. It was hard enough to see in the pale light of the full moon. Neither of them wanted to risk more light than that. They had put in a call to Armstrong just as they had promised when Roy hadn't returned but they also hadn't kept their promise to not come looking for him. They were loyal but smart enough to know when to disobey his orders. “He didn’t return to the inn. Either he’s inside the warehouse or he’s in the river,” she replied grimly. She hated to think of it but she had been a realist her whole life. This was exactly what she had feared when Mustang had sent her on her own solo mission, which had turned up little other than Eugene’s neighbors thought he was strange and cold, not what anyone wanted in a shopkeeper. She was meant to watch Mustang’s back, which was very hard to do from across town while he got himself into whatever foolishness he managed to find. He always found some when left unsupervised. She smiled fondly at the thought. Some days he and Maes were the dumbest smart people she knew but thoughts of Maes and his fate sobered her immediately.

Breda grunted softly but didn’t argue. He knew the dangers as well as she. Neither were willing to leave Roy potentially inside and in trouble. They were far too loyal for that. He nodded toward the side door which stood open just a crack. Together they carefully inched toward the door, mindful of the amount of clutter someone had perhaps purposefully left around the building as an early warning system. He took the more exposed open side of the door and Riza took out her two pistols, making sure they were fully loaded and reholstered before she unslung her rifle. She knew it was loaded and in her pocket were four fast reloaders for the pistols. Breda pulled his own pistol and tugged his belt, rotating it so the sheath to his long knife wouldn’t be half-hidden by his uniform jacket.

Riza swallowed hard as she picked up bits and pieces of the conversation. Thankfully whoever was speaking was angry and loud.

“You can’t keep him alive,” a man bellowed.

“Do you know who he is, Eugene?” another man parried. Riza arched her eyebrows. It sounded like Colonel Stone. “That’s the Flame Alchemist.”

“I saw you take his gloves,” Eugene replied, and then said something that was too muffled to hear. “…kill the kids and destroy this place.”

“I’m not signing off on any of that, not until I talk to General Littlejohn. Bradly doesn’t want Mustang harmed. It’s known. He figures into the Fuhrer’s plans, a Chosen Sacrifice.”

Breda caught her eye and she shrugged. She had no idea what this meant but it was obviously important. Anger swept over her, nearly making her hands shake. How dare they threaten to kill children, to kill Mustang? Not on her watch!

“Kill him, Stone.”

“Not until I hear from Littlejohn that it’s okay. He will know what the Fuhrer wants.” He groaned irritably. “We will probably have to destroy this lab at the least.”

“I think this is a mistake. Flame Alchemist or no, he’s nothing without his array. Now is the time to dispose of him.”

Riza nodded to Breda. They couldn’t wait for them to decide Mustang was too dangerous to keep alive. They needed to act now. Breda pulled the door open wider so he could get through. He and Riza spilled into the warehouse and she was thrilled that it was mostly empty except for some lambs and children in cages. Roy was in one of the pens, leaning on the door, his head a mass of blood. They must have hit him hard. That stoked her temper. She clenched her rifle harder, the urge to make them pay swelling up. At least he’s alive, she told herself, trying to calm down. If she were keyed up, her aim would be off. Mustang needed her to be calm and cool right now, just like he always trusted her to be. She wished she had been with him, having his back like she was meant to, even though she was right where he had asked her to be.

There were only a handful of men across the room near Colonel Stone and the man he was talking to. Riza assumed that was Eugene and the man potentially the most dangerous to them all. She had no idea what his alchemy was, if it was a weapon or not. If she was reading this right and following Mustang’s thought process, then Eugene was trying to create chimeras. Lamb-children wouldn’t be too threatening, merely horrific. They were likely a place to begin to work up to something more vicious. Her temper flared again, thinking about those children, Mustang wounded and captured but this time it stiffened her resolve. She was going to end this.

She was benching in her rifle against her shoulder when one of them spotted her and let out a shout. She didn’t hesitate. She fired. They only needed Stone and Eugene alive. They had vital information. If she had to kill the others, she would. Riza ran for the pens as she fired, reaching them by the time she and Breda had put down Stone’s men.

She tugged a spare glove out of her pocket, going to pass it through to Mustang when he growled, “Behind you. His array is on his bracer, like Strongarm.”

Riza whipped around to face Eugene. 

His fingers hovered just above his array. The man smiled. “This was entertaining but it has to come to an end now. And that goes for your friend as well.”

Riza tossed Mustang’s spare glove between the bars and brought her hand up to get a better grip on her pistol. “I wouldn’t have called it entertaining but I agree. It’s over.”

“And you think you can shoot me before I work my alchemy? That I won’t kill you, him and all the kids?” Eugene grinned. 

“I’m sure you will,” Riza said. “But I’m quick and he’s quicker.” Knowing instinctively what Mustang would do, she went to one knee and fired as Mustang’s flames arched over her back to envelop Eugene. He shrieked but Riza knew Mustang was only burning his surface lightly. Ishval had robbed him of any desire to see anyone burn to death – not that he had had any such desires to start with but it was one of the things that she knew haunted his dreams because it haunted hers. Breda bowled Eugene over, rolled him to extinguish him, and ripped the man’s smoldering belt free so he could tie his hands.

“Get those metal bracers off him, Breda,” Riza yelled as she threw the locks to Mustang’s cage. Running footsteps alerted her. Spinning Riza leveled her gun at Colonel Stone. Tracking just in front of Stone, Riza pulled off a shot. Stone jerked to a step. His pasty face turned toward her. “Colonel, sir, I’m going to have to ask you to stay where you are. Don’t make me shoot you.”

“I’d listen to her, Stone. Hawkeye’s aim lives up to her name,” Mustang said, lumbering out of the cage so unsteadily she was sure he had a concussion.

Stone pulled out a pistol. “And then what, Mustang? You report this up the chain? Who do you think is control?”

“Oh, I know it’s not you. I’m sure Littlejohn is in charge but in the end, who do you think will take the fall? Why do you think they left it in your hands? If this gets out, and now it will if even only as a news report about a mad alchemist and ambitious military officer crossing into forbidden territory by experimenting on orphans,” Mustang growled and Riza could hear the pain in his voice. She knew the source even if no one else in the room did. 

“Maybe you should do this more quietly, sir,” she said softly, trying to calm him. She was his voice of reason, his sword and his shield. She needed to protect him from himself and the way his hand shook, thumb and forefinger pressed tight, he needed protecting now.

“Don’t tell them anything, Stone. All they have is conjecture,” Eugene bellowed and Breda punched him, knocking him out in one blow.

“Know enough that you kidnapped kids and the colonel,” he snarled.

“Put your guns away, Lieutenant Hawkeye,” Stone said solicitously. “You and your companion could join General Littlejohn with me. He’ll make sure you’re well cared for, better than riding the coat tails of an alchemist held highly suspect by the upper echelons.”

Roy snorted. “Is that all you have, Stone? You’re insulting Hawkeye and Breda.”

Riza smiled slightly at that. Mustang knew her and Stone definitely didn’t. 

“You think they want to drown with you, Mustang? It’s only a matter of time before you’re put in your place,” Stone growled.

“I trust them.”

“We’ll see. What say you, Hawkeye? I can guarantee you both promotions as a gift for supporting Littlejohn and our Fuhrer.” Stone smiled at Hawkeye as if somehow thinking she was the weakest link.

She cocked her pistol. “I’ll not abandon Colonel Mustang.”

“Ever,” Breda added and Stone scowled.

“This is only going to end one way, Stone,” Mustang said. “Just put the gun down and come quietly. There’s no need for you to get hurt.”

“There’s another way for it to end, Chosen Sacrifice or not.”

Stone whipped his gun arm up but Riza was far faster. He sprawled in the blood splattered hay before he even had a prayer of pulling the trigger. She sighed and holstered her weapon.

“Thank you, Hawkeye,” Mustang said, swaying on his feet as he let his hand relax. “Breda, make sure everyone is either dead or restrained. Hawkeye, let’s take care of the children.”

Riza caught his arm and led him to a bale of hay. “Sit, sir before you fall. Breda and I have this.”

Mustang sat heavily and put his bloody head in his hands. It didn’t take them long to tie up the living. She stayed with the terrified children and Mustang while Breda ran back to the base to round up some of the military police and hoped they weren’t overly loyal to Stone. He would anonymously phone some reporters on his way there, as per Mustang’s orders. It was harder to sweep it under the rug if the reporters were already there. She sat down on the bale next to Mustang. He leaned wearily against her gun arm while a four year old little girl crawled up in her lap for comfort. Riza patted her back, knowing a long night still lay ahead of them but at least she had rescued Mustang before they could have either killed him or turned him over to Bradley’s men where he might have disappeared into some deep dark cell until whatever this Chosen Sacrifice stuff surfaced. She only wished she knew what it meant. It was hard to protect him when she didn’t have all the facts.

Epilogue

Mustang rested across two seats on the train, looking decidedly green around the gills. Breda was off in the dining car and Riza was considering sending the steward there for a pot of hot water so she could steep him some of the ginger tea Xue had dropped off at the inn in the early hours. Pity echoed in her, knowing how much he was hurting right now. Riza had sent word to her and Nicole that Mustang had been hurt but would be all right once he got over his concussion. Xue had given her the tea to help him combat the nausea that went along with head injuries stating that at least Roy had a hard head and should be just fine. Mustang hadn’t been amused. Breda had been, which might be part of the reason he was sheltering in the dining car.

“I kept the copy of the paper, sir,” she said from her seat across from Mustang. “They made you out to look quite heroic.”

He made a disgusted noise. “All I did was get captured. You saved the day. You should get the credit.”

Riza smiled. “All I care about is that we saved those children from a horrible fate. Nicole sent word just before we left that several townspeople were at the orphanage clamoring to adopt every one of the ones in that barn and screaming for the heads of the administrators convinced they had some involvement in this.”

“They would have had to,” Mustang muttered, barely opening his eyes. “No one adopts as many kids as Littlejohn did without someone getting curious. Still, you deserve the credit, you and Breda.”

“The Flame Alchemist makes better copy.” Riza shrugged. “Do you think they’ll try again elsewhere with other kids?”

“Depends on what they learned from this. It’s very possible they learned enough to try it with adults and that is even more terrifying in a way.” He sighed and melted a little into the seat.

“Agreed. I think you need some of Xue’s tea, sir. You look positively green.”

Mustang grimaced. “I wouldn’t say no to that.”

Riza tracked down the steward to get that kettle of hot water plus put in an order for regular tea for herself. She settled back down across from Mustang. He looked asleep but she doubted it. She let him have his peace and dug out something to read from her bags. She struggled to focus, thinking on all those children. They didn’t know how many had died. Mustang had all the alchemist’s notes, hiding them away just in case everything was confiscated. He might ask for her help in translating them. She wasn’t an alchemist but she knew well enough how they coded and obfuscated things. She bore part of an array, now scarred and broken, on her back. Riza was content to help Mustang any way she could. She never wanted to see anything like what Eugene and Stone had going on in that barn ever again. If they couldn’t break the code, Armstrong might help or they could call in the Elrics. Alphonse especially had the patience for that sort of thing. 

Riza wondered what might be appropriate to send Madam Christmas a thank you for putting them on the track of this in the first place and stopping the horror. Probably good whiskey and better smokes. She’d remind Mustang to send them once they got home or just do it herself if he was still feeling awful. It was all part and parcel of watching his back. It might be a dangerous job but it was never boring. Riza couldn’t imagine doing anything else. She was right where she wanted to be.


End file.
